Just a Teenage Dirtbag
by SillyOldBear94
Summary: Belle French was extremely comfortable at Storybrooke High. She had great friends, great grades, and was totally clear on her path to the future. Then one day she bumped into troubled Adam Gold, and things became a little more fuzzy. Non-magical AU. TW mention of drugs and child abuse.
1. Welcome to My Life

The bell rang loudly and shrilly through the halls of Storybrooke High, signaling fifth period, and lunchtime for most of the upperclassman. A chestnut haired girl, dressed in a maroon skirt and a crème sweater, moved quickly through the students, stopping only to throw her books in her locker and to grab her bagged lunch. Her locker was decorated with quotes from her favorite novels, and a few pictures of her and her friends, but the girl barely spared it a glance as she hurriedly caught a few falling papers and shoved them back inside before slamming it shut. Belle French made her way to the cafeteria with expert precision, cerulean eyes scanning the crowd of students as she went. Suddenly she felt a long nailed hand grab her arm,

"Jesus, what's the rush? We've sat at the same table for the past two years, I don't think anyone is going to overthrow us for it now!" exclaimed Ruby Lucas, smiling as she attempted to keep up with her friend. It wasn't exactly hard given she had a good foot on Belle, and her black leather covered legs were much longer, but she had always had a flair for the dramatic.

"Mary Margaret said she had news, and she sounded excited, so it must be important!" Belle answered her friend as they entered the cafeteria and headed toward their usual table. Mary Margret was already seated, and was carefully unpacking her neatly made lunch when the two other girls approached and sat down. The three had been best friends since elementary school, having grown up in their small town together. Although they had different interests, Belle loved her books, Ruby was a fashion and pop culture obsessive, and Mary Margret was passionate about animal rights and cheerleading, they remained as close as ever because their friendship stretched so far back. They knew each other better then anyone, and they refused to believe anything could separate them.

"You have to tell us what's going on," Belle said, smiling as she sat down and began unpacking her sandwich, "I've been dying ever since I got your text this morning!"

"Hold your horses!" laughed Mary Margret, brushing a stray piece of raven colored hair from her face, "We have to wait for Emma. I want to tell all of you at once!"

Emma had joined their group two years ago, at the start of high school. She had moved to Storybrooke with her adoptive parents, and quickly befriended the kind trio of girls. Her cleverness and wry sense of humor made her a welcome addition to the group, and soon they couldn't remember life without her in their group. Less then a minute after Mary Margret finished speaking, the blonde herself appeared with a tray of food.

"Hey, I'm here! You said something about big news, Mary Margret?" Emma asked, setting her tray down and sitting next to Ruby.

"Yeah, please give us the reveal, or I think we'll all go crazy." Ruby said with a smirk, taking a large bite out of her sandwich.

"Alright, here it is" grinned Mary Margret, smoothing the skirt of her cheerleading uniform before looking at them all, "I won class president!"

"OH MY GOD!"  
"YES! YOU DID IT? CONGRATS!"

"THAT"S AMAZING!"

The girls cries could be heard over the normal din of the cafeteria, carrying throughout the room. Belle hugged Mary Margret tightly.

"I'm so happy for you, you deserve this" she told her friend sincerely. Ruby reached across the table for Mary Margret's hands.

"I agree! I knew you could do this!" she exclaimed, giving her friend's hand a squeeze.

"Thanks guys, you're the best! I mean it, your support means everything, and now I finally have a chance to make a difference at this school." Mary Margret said, looking between her three closest friends.

"This is great new, I'm so happy for you Mary Margret," Emma said with a genuine smile at her friend "But what about.. you know who?"

"You mean Regina?" asked Ruby, "It's about time the Queen Bitch got overthrown."

"You won fair and square, you shouldn't be afraid of her," Belle pointed out.

"Oh I'm not." Mary Margret answered, "She's still the cheer captain, so I have to deal with her, but I'm going to act normally. I'll respect her if she respects me."

"Very mature of you" Belle said with a nod of her head.

"Yeah but do you think she'll treat you with the same respect? I don't think she'll take getting ousted as calmly as you think. She may still be head cheerleader but now she only controls that one group. I don't think she'll take that lying down." Emma said, stabbing a stray carrot on her plate with more force then necessary, as if it was the queen bee's head.

"I can handle her, don't you worry" Mary Margret stated confidently.

"Oh you can?" a new voice said. The girls looked up and saw Regina Mills standing over them, her cheerleading uniform impeccably clean, and her dark hair tied in a high ponytail. She allowed her dark eyes to pass over each girl before lingering on Mary Margret.

"I need you to be at practice early. The mats need to be rolled out, and the other girls have too much to do, you'll be fine doing it by yourself right? You wouldn't want to be seen as not a team player." Regina said menacingly, leaning forward with her hands on the edge of the table.

"I think I can manage that" Mary Margret responded, meeting the taller girl's gaze. Regina straightened, crossing her arms before declaring,

"Fine, see you at three." And with that she turned on her heel and strode away. The girls left at the table shared worrying glances.

"What was that about her not being angry or bitter?" Ruby asked, warily watching Regina walk back towards another gaggle of cheerleaders.  
"I won't let her get to me." Mary Margret stated, "If she wants to try to force me off the team, she's going to have to try better then that."

With that the short haired cheerleader stood up and collected the trash from her meal, throwing it in the trash can near the exit, and departing the cafeteria.

"Well, lunch is almost over anyway. I'll see where she went off to, I have next period with her anyway." Emma said with a sigh, clearing her tray. Ruby followed her, leaving Belle to pack up the rest of her half eaten apple slices.

Regina could be a force to be reckoned with, and Belle knew that Mary Margret should be wary. She remembered the time back in middle school when Regina had mocked her on the bus, calling Belle "Reading Girl" because she preferred to read on the bus instead of interacting with the shouting classmates that shared her route. The name had stuck all the way through eighth grade, Regina's influence causing it to spread throughout the whole school. Now that she was almost an adult, Belle didn't let the childish antics from middle school bother her much anymore, she was fairly popular now, and a friend to many. However she worried for Mary Margret because she knew that Regina's power had only grown stronger in high school, making her queen of the rumor mill.

Belle was so absorbed in her thoughts that she failed to notice that she was about to run in to another person on her way out the door. Suddenly she felt her body collide with another, stronger body, almost knocking her to the ground. She sensed leather clad arms around her, and looked up to meet dark brown eyes framed by long, wavy hair. She had just run in to _Adam Gold_, and she was still standing in his arms, gawking at him.

Belle quickly pulled away, her eyes going wide.

"I'm _so_ sorry! I didn't mean… I didn't see you, I-"

"It's fine" he answered, his voice deep and with the hint of an old accent, "I didn't see you either. It takes two people to run into each other you know."

"Right. Well… I best be going, I have… class" Belle stuttered, attempting to smile as she backed away. Adam chuckled,

"Alright then. Nice running into you," he said with a smirk.


	2. My Own Worst Enemy

Adam Gold didn't have to weave amongst people to get through the busy hallway, they moved for him. He casually made his way past the rows of identical lockers, and exited through one of the school's side doors at the end of the hallway. Once outside he removed a battered cigarette pack from the pocket of his ever-present leather jacket, and lit up. He leaned against the old brick of the school and closed his eyes as he let the familiar nicotine sooth him. He had just propped one denim-covered leg against the wall, his combat boot digging in to the brick, when he heard movement in the hallway behind him. The sound of the door opening beside him ruined his peaceful moment. He lazily opened his eyes,

"What do you want, dearie?"

"Don't call me that, it's weird," Regina snapped, stepping into the crisp autumn air. She wrapped her bare arms around herself.

"So I heard a rumor today… it seems you didn't have quite as tight a grip on your power as you thought," Gold said, a cocky grin beginning to spread across his face. The cheerleader grimaced at him, her upper lip curling in a snarl.

"It's a temporary situation. I still have more influence over this school then they realize."

Regina reached out and plucked the cigarette from his hand, taking a drag. He frowned as he watched her, declining to take it back when she offered. She flicked the butt away as he stood up from against the wall.

"I thought you were trying to quit," he stated idly, not really caring about her answer either way.

"I only do it when I'm stressed," she responded shortly, "Besides, you know my poison of choice."

"Indeed I do, speaking of which, will you be picking up on Friday?"

"Of course"

Gold nodded slowly

"It's the usual price. I'll see you at the spot."

As he reentered the school, he made his way towards the gymnasium. He passed by the locker room, and went right into the gym, heading for the bleachers. The gym teacher had long given up on trying to get him to change for class. He sat down and leaned back on the long benches, surveying the other students as they entered from the locker rooms. The freckle-faced kid owed him money, and he'd have to see if that tall girl in the corner wanted another dose. So many clients, so little time. His dark eyes continued to roam the growing crowd of students, until one brown haired figure caught his eye. Ah yes, there she was.

Belle French. He hadn't had a class with her until gym this year, and he was… intrigued to say the least. On the first day of class she was chosen as a captain for dodgeball, and he had looked on from the bleachers with curiosity as she chose the least athletic looking kid in the class first. She had filled her team with tall lanky kids, small, awkward looking girls, kids with glasses, and a couple of muscular jocks. He had never seen another student at this god-forsaken school be so inviting and accepting of her other peers. He had never actually spoken to her until today, when she had bumped into him in the cafeteria. The way she stuttered and acted so nervously around him confirmed his thoughts. She was too pure for someone like him; it was best to admire her lovely form from a distance.

The sound of her laughter pulled him from his thoughts, and he looked across the gym to see her doubled over and smiling at something her tall, skinny, longhaired friend said. She wore the standard gym uniform of a t-shirt and shorts, which showed off her pale legs. She was sporting a pair of tall, striped socks that stretched up from her spotless sneakers. Then the shorthaired, pixie looking girl came over and unknowingly blocked his view. Clenching his jaw, he brushed his shoulder length hair out of his face, and casually turned his head and surveyed the rest of the gym. Two figures approached him,

"You checking out the merchandise, Gold?" a tall, jersey wearing figure asked.

_How barbaric_, he thought to himself. He didn't particularly like Gaston or his slightly smaller friend Whale. Both were players on the varsity football team, Gaston being a linebacker because of his size and Whale the first-string kicker. In Gold's mind they were utter morons, but business was business.

"No Gaston, 'I'm not checking out the merchandise'. Unlike you my mind is able to focus on more than my baser instincts" Gold answered snidely, looking away from the football players.

"You sure about that? Because I could have sworn I caught you checking out our girls."

"Please," Gold scoffed, playing nonchalant, "I don't know who "your girls" are and I don't care to know. There's no one worth my time in this town anyway."

"You're making fun of us now?" Whale accused, stepping forward.

"You're just jealous because no girl would go for a scumbag like you" Gaston sneered. Gold answered with a sneer of his own, remaining seated in the face of the two brutes.

"I assume if you're insulting me, that you've finally kicked your weed habit?" he questioned, dark eyes flashing. The two larger boys paled.

"Hey man, don't take it like that."

"We were just being protective of our girls, that's all!"

Gold smirked at their groveling. Suddenly David Nolan came jogging over. The blonde haired, blue eyed, all-American quarterback approached the group and cautiously looked between them.

"Everything cool over here?"

Gold rolled his eyes. _Always the peacemaker_, he thought. Of all the football players, he supposed he hated David the least. They had a mutual understanding, and David had always been less of a jerk to people in general.

"Everything is fine" Gold said with a menacing smile "In fact, I was just leaving. I have some business to attend to."

He stood, glancing between the three football players as if asking them to challenge him. None of them did. He grinned as he stepped of the bleachers, his heavy combat boots echoing through the large room. Gym was a waste of time anyway.

Belle was discussing their latest history project with Mary Margret when she suddenly felt arms wrap around her from behind.

"Gaston please, we're in school!" she said, giving him a smile while trying to squirm out of his embrace.

"You know I just can't help myself sometimes" he responded with a sly grin. Ruby was giggling as Whale kissed her on the cheek and Mary Margret was discussing something with David, their hands clasped together between them. Suddenly Mary Margret looked at all of them.

"What were you doing talking to Adam Gold" she questioned, quirking an eyebrow. David looked at his fellow teammates, who both looked away.

"We just had… a science question. We're in the same class."

"Right." Mary Margret responded, rolling her eyes.

"Well be careful, the Coach might think you're going to him for another reason. You don't want to risk being kicked off the team, do you?" Ruby said to all three of the players.

Belle remained quiet, silently contemplating her earlier encounter with Adam Gold. She had never talked to him before; she'd only seen him loitering in hallways and quietly talking to random students outside near the sports fields. People were afraid of him. But after her brief encounter with him, when he seemed so polite to her, she wondered why that was.

The shrill sound of the gym teacher's whistle focused Belle's attention. She and her friends followed their boyfriends to the center on of the gym. Belle glanced back at the bleachers but they were empty. She'd have to contemplate Adam Gold another time.


	3. She's So High

_Author's Note: Thank you so much for your reviews, they mean a lot! Also, if anyone was curious about the chapter titles, they're all popular "high school" songs from the late 90's and early 00's era._

Belle walked into her Honors English class early on Monday morning. Being one of the first few students in the room, she sat in her usual seat and carefully set out her notebook and pencils. Just then Mary Margret walked in and sat beside Belle.

"How was your weekend? I'm sorry we couldn't get together at all, but Regina has me going crazy with extra practices." Mary Margret said with a sigh. Belle smiled sympathetically at her friend,

"I'm sorry about that! And you really didn't miss much. Emma and I had a movie marathon, but we didn't see much of Ruby either, she was working the whole weekend."

"You didn't see Gaston at all?"

"No… he was busy too."

It wasn't a complete lie; Belle knew he had double football practice on Saturday. However, Belle hadn't been making such an effort to see him outside of school in the recent weeks. She wasn't exactly sure when it started, but lately everything he said and did seemed to put her on edge or annoy her. Hanging out with her girlfriends was much more fun. A moment later, their teacher entered the classroom, saving Belle from having to explain her boyfriend troubles any further.

After a long lecture on Hamlet, the bell rang singling the end of the period. Belle stood and straightened her plaid skirt, carefully packing her belongings in her leather bookbag. As she moved to the door with Mary Margret, Ms. Anderson called her back.

"Belle," her teacher said, smiling at the student in question as she approached the front desk "I was wondering if you would do me a favor."

"Of course," Belle answered with a smile. This wasn't the first time she had helped a teacher with grading papers or other work.

"I'd like you to tutor one of my senior English students. He's in one of my lower level classes, and he's not reaching his potential. I know that he's a bright kid, but he can't seem to be bothered with the regular classroom setting. I think some individual attention will be helpful. Seeing as you're one of my brightest students, I thought you'd be up for the challenge."

"Oh, yeah sure" Belle replied, flattered that she would be asked to tutor a student who was older then she was. She was confident in her abilities, though. If anyone could make a person fall in love with literature, it was Belle. Ms. Anderson smiled as she rummaged through her briefcase for the syllabus Belle would need,

"Wonderful news! The student's name is Adam Gold."

Belle's eyes widened and she held her breath. It seemed Adam Gold had once again crashed into her life. The boy who didn't seem to care about his reputation, yet cultivated such a fearful one, intrigued her. No one ever risked talking about him, even if he wasn't around. All Belle knew about him was his certain "business", and that he had quite the temper if crossed. The task her teacher had presented her with suddenly seemed much more daunting. And yet… Belle had only interacted with the boy once, and he didn't seem that bad. Maybe this was just the kind of challenge she needed: something, or someone, to distract her from her boring routine. Yes, Belle could handle this, she could be brave and make a difference.

Ms. Anderson hesitated when she noticed the look on Belle's face. The girl seemed uncertain with her answer.

"Belle, if you're not comfortable with it, you don't have to say yes."

"I'll do it," Belle said with a firm nod of her head, her brown curls bouncing, "I've always been a fan of challenges. I can help him, I know I can."

Her teacher smiled and handed her the syllabus with a list of reading materials.

"Alright then, thank you Belle! Please let me know if you have any trouble."

"I will," Belle said, placing the papers in a folder. She politely said goodbye to Ms. Anderson before exiting the classroom on her way to her next class. She was halfway to her math lesson before she realized she hadn't been given any of Adam Gold's contact info, and they hadn't planned on a place where the tutoring lessons could be held. _Damn_ Belle thought, it seemed she'd have to track Gold down herself if she wanted to get these lessons on the road.

Regina stood in front of the mirror with her lips pursed, carefully reapplying her lipstick. The blood red color matched her nail polish perfectly. She capped the tube with a click when she heard the door to the girl's bathroom open.

"What do you want?" she asked while placing her lipstick back in her purse, without looking up at the figure who had come to stand next to her.

"You know Adam Gold, right?"

Regina looked up and narrowed her eyes at Belle. She removed a tissue from her purse and blotted her lips with it before answering.

"What's it to you?"

"Well, someone told me that you've been seen talking to him before, and I need his phone number."

"What would a bookworm like you need with Gold's phone number?" Regina scoffed, turning her attention back to her reflection in the mirror.

"That's my business." Belle said, refusing to be intimated by the cheer captain, "can you help me or not?"

"Well, forgive me for being surprised, but you don't exactly fit the stereotype of his typical customer," Regina responded "but sure, I guess I can give you his number."

Belle let out a sigh before taking out her phone and handing it to Regina.

"Thank you, Regina," she said as the dark haired girl typed the number into her phone.

"Please, you shouldn't be thanking me. I just set you on a road you can't come back from. Have fun with whatever he gives you. I hope it's worth it."

Belle thought about correcting her, but before she could explain that's not why she was contacting Gold, Regina handed her back her phone and walked out of the bathroom, her skirt swishing as she moved. Belle looked at the number on her screen. Six simple digits shouldn't seem so frightening and exciting.

Belle exited the bathroom and began to walk down the hall to her locker. She dug through her books and papers inside as she contemplated what to say in her first message. Should she be formal, or friendly? She was just a tutor after all, not a teacher, maybe she should begin with something casual, like 'hey'. Belle was so preoccupied with how to format her message that one of her books slid from her locker and landed next to her red heeled feet. She sighed but before she could bend down to retrieve it, another hand picked it up. It seemed she needn't have worried how to send the opening text after all, because the hand holding her book belonged to Gold himself. He held the text out to her, with one eyebrow arched.

"I believe you dropped this," he said with a crooked grin. Belle blushed and took it from him,

"Uh yes, thank you."

"So," he said, casually leaning against the locker next to her, "I heard you wanted to speak to me?"

_Wow, word really does travel fast in this school _thought Belle.

"Yes, I was going to text you but you're here now so I guess I don't have to…" Belle trailed off awkwardly, suddenly unsure what to say in his presence. Gold raised both eyebrows and looked at her expectantly,

"So… what's up?"

Words suddenly refused to come to Belle. Just like when she'd first bumped into him, she couldn't speak. Her blue eyes became transfixed with his deep, amber brown ones, a color that she had never seen on another person. The slam of a locker nearby caused her to realize she was staring too long.

"Oh um sorry. Right. Uh, Ms. Anderson asked me to be your new tutor."

Gold scoffed,

"Well, I wasn't asked if I wanted a tutor."

"It wasn't a matter of if you wanted one or not, apparently you need one, so here I am." Belle said firmly, feeling a surge of annoyance.

Gold stared at Belle with a questioning look on his face. Apparently he wasn't accustomed to being stood up to or argued with. Belle felt a surge of confidence.

"How about we meet in the library? Let's say 3 o'clock," she stated while flashing him a grin.

Gold stood silently for a moment while thinking it over. Something in his head seemed to make him soften to the subject, and he gave her a crooked grin before answering,

"Alright Miss French, I'll see you in the library. But I'm going to have to say 4 instead of 3."

"Why?"

"I have business to attend to, leave it at that."

"Fine, 4 o'clock"

"Fine"

"Fine"

They stared at each other for a moment.

"Well, I guess I'll see you then," Gold said cheekily, giving her a last once over before swinging around and blending easily into the crowd in the hallway.

Belle watched him walk off, a swagger in his step, and she couldn't help but feel more up to this challenge then ever. Adam Gold thought he was so scary, did he? Well, Belle had read enough books to know that cockiness always led to the villains downfall, and like all heroes, Belle herself would be triumphant.


	4. In Too Deep

Adam Gold stared through the large glass windows that separated the library from the school's hallway. Belle French was already seated at one of the square tables in the front. She was flipping through a pile of papers, and Gold couldn't help but be mesmerized by her concentration. A couple of football players were flicking a paper football around at the table next to her, and two girls were gossiping loudly as they stood near the short shelves behind the table, and all she did was absentmindedly brush a stray piece of chestnut hair from her face as she read. Fascinating. He walked through the double doors and made his way to where she was sitting. He dropped his bag loudly on top of the table, causing Belle to jump and look up from her papers wildly.

"Was that necessary?" she asked, both startled and annoyed. Gold grinned,

"Sorry about that, Teach. I'm here, let's get started."

"You're 15 minutes late," she stated disapprovingly.

"I had other matters to attend to."

"Well this should be more important."

"I'm here now, aren't I?" he shrugged. Belle shook her head resignedly as she picked up the syllabus that their teacher had provided.

"Okay, so we have a lot to get through. We have a few Greek myths followed by Shakespeare just to catch you up, and then we have to move on to-"

"How about we forget the syllabus for a minute," he said, reaching across the table to take the sheet of paper from her hands, "And talk about something more interesting."

"You just got here! We have to stay on subject," Belle chided.

"What's your favorite book?"

Belle furrowed her eyebrows and watched him apprehensively.

"I said we have-"

"This is on subject!" he said, widening his eyes imploringly, "Books are what you read in English class. We're here to study English, so I'm asking you about your personal favorite."

"You're trying to get around the assignment. It's not going to work you know, I'm here to make sure you actually learn something."

"How about we make a deal?"

"A deal?"

Gold watched her face carefully. Her blue eyes were narrowed in confusion, and her red lips were pursed, as if she was attempting to guess what kind of deal he was proposing.

"Yes. I'll read five novels of your choosing, plus the stuff on the syllabus, if you spend at least 20 minutes telling me about yourself at the start of every session."

There was a pause as the two students stared at each other from across the table.

"Why do you want to know about me?" Belle asked hesitantly.

Gold paused for a moment before answering. There was something about her that made her different from the rest of the kids at school, and he _had_ to know more about her. She was interesting, and he liked interesting things.

"Let's just say I don't come across a lot of genuine people. I figure if I have to spend extra time with you, I might as well get to know you a little bit."

Belle carefully considered his words.

"Are you saying you don't have many real frie-"

"So do you accept or not?" he asked, cutting her off, "A little talking in exchange for some reading?"

"You have a deal."

"You sure?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You have my word," she responded, raising her chin and meeting his stare directly.

"Wonderful, it's official," Gold said. He grabbed her hand and gave it a curt shake. As he pulled his arm back, his brain admired the delicate features and softness of the skin he had just felt. He shook his head in order to clear his thoughts.

"So…" he said casually, looking directly at her with his large brown eyes, "What _is_ your favorite book?"

"_Sense and Sensibility_", she said without hesitation.

"Never heard of it."

Belle openly gawked at him.

"Really? _Sense and Sensibility_, Jane Austen's first published book?"

"She's the one who wrote Pride and Prejudice, right?"

Belle sighed.

"Not only is it a literary classic, it's one of my personal favorites for good reasons! You _have_ to read it. Come on, follow me!"

Gold watched her face light up when she spoke about the book. Her smile widened and her blue eyes gleamed with excitement. She also spoke more animatedly with her hands when she was excited, her well-manicured, pink fingernails flashing as she waved her hands in random gestures. It was cute, he thought, the way that she could get so excited about something so trivial.

"Well, aren't you coming?"

He had been so engrossed in watching her speak that he hadn't realized she was already standing. She was looking over her shoulder at him, her wavy brown hair brushed to one side. He simply nodded and followed her into the stacks.

As they walked through the tall shelves side by side, she spoke again,

"Since I know English obviously isn't your favorite subject, what is?"

He frowned at her attempt at small talk.

"I mean, you don't have to answer," she said nervously, "I just thought I'd get to know you since we'll be spending a lot of time together, and you want to get to know me."

"Well," he said, running a hand through his hair, "I guess I like chemistry."

"Ah so you're a math and science kind of guy!"

"No," he snapped, "I hate math, it's dull."

"Oh…" Belle trailed off, looking down at the grey carpet as they meandered along.

Gold sighed, he cursed himself for making her feel bad, and then cursed himself again for caring.

"I just mean… I like chemistry because I like mixing things together and seeing what comes out of it. You can take two totally unique substances, combine them, and then be left with a completely different substance at the end. It's kind of cool, you know?"

"Yeah," she smiled, "That is cool."

He cringed at how desperate he sounded but this was new territory. No one asked him about school, unless they were asking if he was suspended again. She seemed to understand him though, which was interesting.

"Here we are!" Belle said, saving him the embarrassment of having to describe his favorite subject more. They were standing in front of one of the tall shelves on the outer wall. The books were stacked on shelves from the floor to the ceiling, their spines creating a mix-matched rainbow of color. Belle walked several feet to the left and began to pull over a ladder that was connected to the wall on a slider.

"Of course Austen is at the top," Belle sighed, "I really hate this system. They need to invest in more reachable shelves."

Belle stepped on to the ladder and began to move carefully up. Gold watched as she climbed, teetering on her tall heels. He moved forward to hold the ladder in place as she got to the top.

"Careful there," he said, "I'm not sure books are worth this much trouble."

"Of course they are!"

At the top of the ladder, Belle was attempting to pull the desired volume from the row of tightly packed books. As she tugged at it, one of the spikes of her heels slipped off the rung, and she lost her balance. Letting out a small yelp, she fell backwards off the ladder, the dislodged book now in her hand. Without consciously thinking about it, Gold stepped back from the ladder and caught her in his arms. She landed with a small ommph from both parties, the book dropping from her hands to the floor as she grabbed his shoulders. It all happened in a matter of seconds, and he couldn't even remember her actually in the air because now she was warm and comfortable in his arms. He looked down at her with a slightly stunned look on his face.

"Thank you," she said breathily, looking up at him. It was then that he became extremely aware of all the places where their bodies were touching, and he quickly set her down on her feet. He cleared his throat awkwardly,

"You should be more careful."

"I… uhh yeah, you're probably right," she stuttered, smoothing her skirt anxiously.

Gold reached down and picked up the fallen book. He held it out to her, but she shook her head.

"It's for you, remember? Five books of my choice. This is the first one."

He nodded slowly. He was feeling a little jittery still, and the library seemed too warm, too confining.

"You know, I actually just remembered I have something this afternoon. An appointment. I gotta go," he said.

"But we-"

"I'm sorry," he stated, already walked away, "We'll meet again next week."

He refused to turn around, knowing he would feel even more guilty if he saw her questioning blue eyes. Feeing like a coward but unable to resist the urge, Gold threw the copy of _Sense and Sensibility_ into his bag at the table, and quickly left the library. He fingered the pack of cigarettes in his leather jacket pocket as he moved towards the doors of the school. This was going to be a longer semester than he had thought.


	5. Semi Charmed Life

**_Author's Note: Wow, a thousand apologies for the big gap in updates. Life just got really busy over the summer but I have the rest of this story planned out, so I plan on finishing it! Please take note of the trigger warnings attached to this, I updated them and I want to make sure they're clear. And as always, thank you for the reviews and comments._**

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On Tuesday, the sun shone brightly in the October sky, illuminating the falling leaves and casting them in a warm, multi-colored glow. Belle sat with Ruby, Emma, and Mary Margret at their usual lunch table near the windows. Ruby and Emma were discussing the latest news going around the school: a new student had arrived, the first since Emma had moved to Storybrooke a few years earlier.

"He looks like such a hipster!" Emma exclaimed.

"Well, I'm not complaining! Boy does he have the body for skinny jeans." Ruby said, shaking her head and licking her lips. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Ruby, he brought his guitar to school on the first day, who does that?"

"What's his name again?" Mary Margret asked.

"Killian Jones," Ruby and Emma said simultaneously. Mary Margret raised her dark brows and laughed.

"That even sounds like a hipster name!"

"Whatever, moving on." Ruby said, "I want to hear about Belle's session with Adam Gold."

The girls turned to look at Belle, who had been quietly chewing her sandwich and staring off into space. She noticed their shared looks and quickly snapped to attention.

"What?"

"How did it go with Gold yesterday?"

"It seems you're alive to tell the tale."

"He's not that bad," Belle said rolling her eyes, "We actually had a kind of nice conversation."

"Really?" Ruby said skeptically.

"He may be trying to get you comfortable before he tries anything." Mary Margret said.

""It's more complicated than that! He's just a person, he has feelings too you know."

Her friends all shared a concerned look.

"I don't know, Belle. How complicated can he be? He's-"

"Belle, he's a drug dealer." Emma said bluntly. Belle floundered a bit at her friend's frank statement. Before their meeting, Belle had thought the same thing as all her friends: that Adam Gold was just a troublemaker and a menace. But since their conversations in the library, he didn't seem so scary. He was interesting and layered, and Belle had spent most of her night and her classes this morning thinking about him and his cryptic ways.

"I don't think anyone is that simple. I think there's more to him than people say."

* * *

Ignoring the bell signaling that lunch was over, Adam Gold strode out the doors to the cafeteria and headed toward the sports fields on the grassy hill beside the school. He went straight toward the football field, passing by the empty concession stand and the home team bleachers, still littered with confetti from last Friday's game. The sound of his combat boots changed from clunking on concrete to silent as he stepped onto the rubbery grass. As he crossed the field he spotted the silhouette of a boy in the shade under the away team's bleachers.

The boy wore a long black coat and stood a full head above Gold. When Gold approached, he looked up from beneath a swooping mess of half-gelled auburn hair.

"Jefferson." Gold said in greeting, nodding his head.

"Hey Gold, how're things?" Jefferson asked, giving a wide, cat-like grin.

"Things are fine" Gold responded with a roll of his eyes, " and if they weren't fine, that's my business."

Jefferson put his hands up in defense.

"Relax, I was just making small talk. You should try it sometime, might do you some good," he said with a mocking smile.

"What does that mean?" Gold asked, eyes flashing.

"It means, I heard you're having meetings in the library with one bookworm Miss Belle French."

"It was one study session, that's all. How did you know about it?"

"Libraries are an easy place to get lost in, relax in, spy in…"

Immediately Gold thought of his conversations with Belle, attempting to sift through what was said and if any of it could be used against him. He never opened up to anyone, it was safer that way. Except when he was around Belle it seemed. She made him _want_ to talk instead of making him feel forced. They'd only had a real conversation twice and yet she felt so… safe. Then there was the moment of contact, after she fell into his arms. He remembered her closeness, the softness of her body, the way she stared up at him with those curious, bright blue eyes. Did Jefferson see that? Gold scowled and put Belle to the back of his mind, carefully reconstructing the high walls around his feelings and _her_.

"Well stay away from whatever section I happen to be in, got it?"

"I've never seen Belle with anyone outside of her good looking friend group. What do you two even talk about?"

"English class." Gold said flatly.

"Like I said, you need to work on your people skills."

"I don't need your advice."

"We don't have much in the way of friends but at least we got each other. Right buddy?" he asked jovially, tossing an arm around Gold's slim shoulders.

Gold was un-amused.

"Do you want the stuff or not?"

Jefferson's face became serious in an instant. He pulled away slowly and stood before Gold with a much somber look on his face. If Gold didn't know any better he'd say Jefferson actually looked hurt.

"You know I do."  
"Okay then." Gold reached into the pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out a small envelope the size of a business card.

"Regular price."  
Jefferson pulled out a thick roll of bills and handed it over. Gold proceeded to count out the bills, carefully unrolling each one.

"You don't have to count Gold, I wouldn't cheat you."

Gold ignored him and finished counting before pocketing the money. He handed Jefferson the envelope containing the small, thin tablets. Jefferson took it quickly and held it tenderly between his fingers.

"Well I'll be on my way. Stay out of libraries, Jefferson."

"Sure, Gold." Jefferson said, not looking at him as Gold began to walk away. When he reached the edges of the bleaches, he turned back before stepping onto the sunny field,

"And by the way, I prefer to think of us as business associates. Let's keep it at that, shall we?"

* * *

When the final bell rang, Belle quickly gathered her papers and notebooks, and headed for the exit. She neglected her locker and chose to head straight for the school's front doors, excited to get outside and enjoy some of the fresh fall air. As she walked down the front steps, she noticed a leather jacket clad figure standing by the flagpole on the side of the school. She turned away from the sidewalk to the student parking lot and hurried across the grass to the boy. As she approached, he removed the cigarette from his mouth and stamped it out. He smiled crookedly at her,

"Hey"

"Hi Adam," she said. Belle tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, appreciating the way the sunlight reflected of his own soft-looking brown hair.

"Can I help you with something?" he said, raising his eyebrows and looking at her expectantly.

"Oh! Yeah I…" Belle trailed off. She didn't really have anything to say to him. In fact, she didn't even remember making the conscious decision to approach him. As soon as she saw him standing alone, she remembered the conversation from lunch and her feet led the way before her brain could catch up. She felt compelled to engage him in some form of conversation, if only to prove herself right about him. It definitely had nothing to do with how nice he looked with the sun behind him and a cigarette dangling lazily from his hand like some kind of James Dean fantasy cliché.

"Belle?"

"Oh my god! I'm sorry!" Belle jolted out of her thoughts and realized she must have been staring, "It's been a long day, I was up late doing homework last night."

Gold hummed in response and nodded, still looking at her closely.

"So… have you started the book yet?"

Gold blinked and seemed to stumble over thoughts of his own.

"Um, not yet, but I will! I've just been busy with some stuff is all. The book cover seemed intriguing though," he offered her an apologetic look and she smiled.

"I think you're really going to like it. Try to read a little before our next session on Monday, we'll talk about it then!"

"You do remember our deal though right? I talk about the book with you, if you tell me more about yourself."  
Belle bit her lip and chuckled,

"I remember, I won't go back on my word."

They smiled at each other, and Belle was taken by his eyes once more. She still couldn't figure out what color she would call them. Amber or russet with flecks of gold: anything but brown. As she looked at him she realized that he seemed nervous somehow, his usual arrogant aura gone. Gold looked around and rubbed the back of his neck.

"So uhh, are you busy? I mean, what are you doing now?"

"Well I'm-"

"Belle!"

Two heads whipped around to see Mary Margret making her way across the lawn towards the couple under the flagpole. She slowed down as she got close to them, her face wary as she eyed Gold.

"Are we still going to Granny's?"

"Of course!" Belle smiled at her friend before gesturing to Gold, "We were just talking about the book I've convinced Adam to read, isn't that right?"

Gold just shrugged his leather-clad shoulders and looked away. Belle's eyebrows crinkled as she looked at his face. He refused to meet anyone's eyes, choosing instead to stare at the ground with a stony look on his face. Belle realized the walls were back up.

"Well anyway…" Belle trailed off, noticing Mary Margret giving her a confused, if not concerned look. She gave the sleeve of Belle's sweater a tug,

"We should go, Ruby will be wondering why we're not at our usual table."

"Right." Belle nodded at her friend. She looked at Gold one more time, but failed to attract his gaze, "I'll see you later Adam."

"Sure, whatever," he responded, retrieving another cigarette and his lighter from his pocket and lighting up. Belle sighed as Mary Margret moved away to avoid the smoke. The two girls began to walk away, but Belle turned back around and addressed Gold one more time,

"Those things will kill you by the way."

He looked up, surprised she was still nearby.

"What?"  
"The cigarettes. You're not cool, you know."

Gold stared at her, the cigarette dangled uselessly in his long fingers. His look of confusion made her smile, and she continued emboldened.

"I can't have my reading buddy dying of lung cancer so soon, can I?"

As she turned and walked away, she swore she could feel his eyes on her the whole way to Granny's diner.

* * *

Adam Gold turned onto the dark street at 6:17 that night. His walk from school should only take him approximately 22 minutes but he liked to let the time linger, and he normally chose to walk around the town slowly instead of going straight home. Now that it was fall, the sun set earlier and the nights became cooler, so he was forced home earlier than he'd like.

The house he stood in front of was old, and it showed. It hadn't been painted in years and one of the shutters was permanently stuck in a half open / half closed position. He took one last drag of soothing nicotine before putting out his cigarette and approaching the derelict house. He made his way across the dirt front yard, avoiding the few weeds that were able to spring up through the dry soil. There were no lights on in the house but that didn't mean that it was empty.

He quietly opened the unlocked front door and stepped inside the hallway, toeing off his boots to avoid any excess noise. He moved like a ghost down the corridor, heading for the stairs at the end of it. As he passed the living room, he saw a figure lying passed out on the couch. He prayed to every god he knew that the figure wouldn't get up as he tiptoed by, but no one was looking favorably upon him today.

"Hey!"

With a grunt and the sound of overused springs, his father rose from the couch and staggered over to the entrance of the living room.

"Where 'ave you been?" his father drawled, leaning heavily on the archway between the living room and hallway. His uncut, greasy hair fell across his red eyes as he swayed back and forth, trying to focus on his son in the dimness.

"I was at school, Malcolm."

"'Course you were. Always people and placed with you. Too 'mportant to bother cleanin' up round here or keep the bar stacked."

Adam crinkled his nose at the smell of whisky on his father's breath.

"You got any money boy? I know you do."

He handed the roll of bills from his jacket pocket to his father, secretly keeping a twenty for himself to cover groceries for the week. Malcolm counted out the money with shaky hands before pocketing it in his patched-filled coat. The large sum was sure to be gone by the following night, spent on too many glasses of cheap liquor and beer at the Rabbit Hole.

"At least you're good for something then."

Malcolm turned away, satisfied that his vices would be covered in the short term, and stumbled back toward the couch. Adam quickly hurried away, leaving his father alone in the dark.

He took the stairs two at a time and arrived in his small bedroom, throwing the door closed and flicking on the single lamp. He sat down on the end of his bed, running a shaky hand through his long hair. Something on the small desk next to his bed caught his eye, and he reached over and grabbed the copy of _Sense and Sensibility_. He ran his fingers along the spine, and stared at the cover depicting a woman in a large, old-fashioned dress; her hair pinned up and pearls around her neck. He thought of Belle. She seemed so excited to talk about the novel. It wasn't only the book though… could she possibly be excited about a conversation with him too? With thoughts like these in his mind, he ignored the crashing and stumbling coming from downstairs, and lied back on his mattress to read.


End file.
